Anesthesiology in the military since 2001: an historical view of the lessons learned from more than a decade of war

Abstract

The war effort resulting from September 11, 2013, has been a massive one, and medical care has been a large part of that effort, resulting in higher survival rates than ever before: 42% of soldiers with wounds died in the Revolutionary War (1775-1783), compared with 30% in World War II (1941-1945), and 10% in Iraq/Afghanistan. Systems have been developed to treat the injured, and these systems has served many indigenous men, women, and children who have also been wounded. A significant part of this system has come to involve anesthesiology, critical care, and pain management. This article will examine the specialty of anesthesiology, pain management, and critical care in Iraq and Afghanistan since 2001, to better understand the advancements made after ten years of deployment.